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CHAPTER 26
~Author's POV~
The moment I stood, the noise around me swallowed whatever calm I had managed to gather.
Excitement buzzed through the corridor as the senior class spilt out of the hall in clusters, already arguing about training schedules, combat rankings, and who they thought would make it to the finals.
I stepped into the hallway, Isadora beside me, my bag slung over one shoulder, my mind still replaying Xander's voice, whether I liked it or not.
That was when I heard it.
Whispering tone, the kind of whisper meant to sting if it reached the right ears.
"I wouldn't let Jade off this easily. She must pay."
"That's a good one," one of Vera's friends voiced.
"She thinks this changes anything," Vera voiced sweetly, and sharply all at once. "Torch Bearer Games or not, Jade Snow is still just pretending she belongs here."
I slowed without meaning to.
